Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos have one of the richest histories in NFL history.
Some of the greatest players to ever strap on pads and put on a helmet have played in Denver. You experience that tradition anytime you walk on the south side of Mile High in Ring of Fame Plaza. The busts of all the people who made the Broncos what they are. Or anytime you look at the facade and see the names and numbers.
With that come those players and coaches who have yet to get inducted into the Ring of Fame but are deserving. The most recent inductee was Demaryius Thomas. Prior to the former receiver were legends Steve Foley and Riley Odoms.
Earlier this spring, I made the case for one of the best pass rushers in franchise history, Barney Chavous, to get inducted into the Ring of Fame.
He was a key member of the Orange Crush defense and helped the franchise play in its first Super Bowl. He is a member of the Broncos Top 100 team and played all 13 of his NFL seasons in Denver. He was selected with the No. 36 pick in the 1973 NFL Draft out of South Carolina.
But it’s the stats that tell the story of Chavous and his value to the franchise. Sacks weren’t officially tracked by the NFL until 1982. However, when Chavous retired, he was the franchise’s all-time leader. He’s one of four Broncos to reach 75 sacks for his career. Chavous currently sits at No. 4 on the all-time list with 75. That’s behind Von Miller (110.5), Simon Fletcher (97.5), and Karl Mecklenburg (79.0).
But if the Ring of Fame selection committee does not go with Chavous, there are other deserving players.
The former defensive end played for the Broncos from 1980-88. He ranks fifth in franchise history for sacks with 73.5. He was a nightmare to block; he was a complete defensive lineman (typically at right defensive end), and he made those defenses in the ’80s better.
There’s always the discussion of “overlooked” players for any franchise, but Jones falls into that category in Denver. He was that good, but he often doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
This pretty much goes without saying, but Wilson was the heart and soul of the Broncos defenses when he played in Denver. You could argue that during his time with the Broncos, 1999-2006, the only linebacker better than him in the NFL was Ray Lewis.
He only ranks ninth in franchise history for tackles, but that’s because of his neck injury. If Wilson doesn’t get injured, we’re talking about a Hall of Famer. Still, that injury doesn’t lessen the impact he made on the franchise.
The safety known as “The Chicken,” Braxton, often gets overlooked since he was sandwiched between two of the best safeties in NFL history, Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater. Braxton came to...
